ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Marvel Snap creators Second Dinner announced they’re adding a swath of new locations to the game, including the line to get a hotdog at Costco.
“We didn’t do our homework on this one but assume the line to get a hotdog at Costco will appear in a Marvel comic at some point, if it hasn’t already. Like the X-Mansion and Asgard, the hotdog line at Costco is an iconic location, serving a quality hotdog and soda combo for only $1.50. A price that has never changed since Costco began selling them.”
Marvel Snap’s creators explain why they chose this location.
“How could we not pay homage to something so engrained in American culture?” said Marvel Snap creator Ben Brode. “This new location is totally unique and something we think players will enjoy. After playing a card at the Costco Hotdog Line, it will be announced that the price has never changed, something everyone in line to buy a Costco hotdog needs to mention. Further, like most mechanics in Marvel Snap, there’s a bunch of hidden coding that gives you a totally unexpected in-game outcome. After playing a card at Costco for the first time the game will replace dollar amounts in Marvel Snap’s store with “hotdog units”, each valued at $1.50.”
By utilizing the new location’s unique functionality, the team hopes to make their monetization scheme even more efficient.
“One of the hurdles we’ve faced as game designers in the free-to-play space has been the ability to convince players to pay actual money for cards they already own. By employing Costco’s Hotdog Line, we can further conflate real world dollar value by exchanging it between multiple currencies. By removing the dollar and replacing it with hotdog units fewer people will be able to ascertain how much money they’re spending to obtain stuff already in the app.”
Along with Costco’s Hotdog Line, other new locations will be included in the update such as Dingy Venue’s One Bathroom that forces cards played there to re-evaluate their life choices, and Mother-In-Law’s House which immediately closes the game after displaying a message of how worthless you are.